Saturday, March 3, 2012

Kneeanderthals!

It is well-documented that I thrive on anything on the Voodoo Rhythm label. Hipbone Slim and the Knee Tremblers is no exception. The Kneeanderthal Sounds of ... is the band's fourth release. Billing itself as "primitive rock," I can safely say that is an apt title if there ever was one.

Bare bones. Basic. The kind of stuff you find playing in a bar from 7 p.m. to 2:30 as the last of the drunks shuffle out. To call this a one-note release, however, is to make a grave mistake. Witness the transition from rocker "No Great Shakes" to the surf "Camel Neck." This could be two different bands. It's not, of course, but that's what versatility does for you. It wrecks expectations.

Hipbone Slim's other releases have had moments of sheer greatness. Much of it sounds like a soundtrack to the kind of movie I want to see. This release may top all the others. There is stuff here you can visualize scenes too. (Most of it break-up scenes that movies rely too much on, but you get the picture.)

Picking a favorite tune on here would be damn near impossible. It would be totally dependent upon my mood. That said, my mood right now dictates that I listen to "No End In Sight" and think about things for quite some time. "Just to have you by my side/Once more to see your face/I'd crawl on glass/I'd run through fire/Through ice and burnin' heat/Just to find my one desire." Reprinting the lyrics does not do the song justice. There's no way it could. Listen for yourself and see if I'm wrong.

Mandatory FTC Disclaimer: I received this to review. Clickin' on a link may earn me green.